For many students, a dream of doing a PhD seems to be impossible due to the cost of some programmes and lack of funding. The country with some of the highest tuition fees in Europe is arguably the United Kingdom.
As a result, there is always a lot of interest in the scholarships available to study in this country. In this article, we have attempted to provide the information about the major sources of funding available for studying a PhD in the UK.
University scholarships
1. If you would like to apply for a specific university in the UK, the best option is to start searching for scholarships on their websites. Finance and scholarship offices have information about different funding opportunities that they provide and/or the links to the external funding opportunities. A lot of universities give PhD scholarships to a limited number of students on an annual basis. The types of scholarships may vary and be aimed at both UK/EU and overseas students. Such scholarships are highly competitive, and potential candidates should demonstrate strong academic background and motivation for studying to be able to get them.
2. A great resource for finding scholarships in the UK is this website: A lot of academic positions, including PhD scholarships, are advertised on this website. You may find it useful to subscribe to the updates to make sure you do not miss any relevant positions.
3. There is a new opportunity available from British Council that coordinates the Newton Fund that is aimed at strengthening the relations between the UK and overseas institutions. A number of PhD scholarships will be allocated through this fund. For more information check: britishcouncil.org/education/science/current-opportunities
4. A lot of the students who write to us on PhD portal receive scholarships from the governments of their own countries. Make sure to check funding opportunities available in your own country!
5. Funding may also come through a direct contact with a potential supervisor. Quite often researchers have funding that has to be allocated for a specific PhD project, and they may be looking for candidates. That is why it is important to try to get in touch with potential supervisors when looking for PhD opportunities.
6. Try to join as many research newsletters, mailing lists from research societies etc. in your area. Quite often these channels are used to advertise potential PhD positions.
7. Last but not the least, subscribe to the updates from Scholarship that will send you regular updates on the opportunities available.
Good luck!